President Message
 
 
 
Parkville Rotary
 
 
Michelle Sparks 
Club President 2024-25
 

As the President of this incredible organization, I am honored to serve alongside a group of dedicated and passionate individuals who are committed to making a positive impact in our community and beyond. Our mission is rooted in the Rotary International motto, "Service Above Self," and we strive to embody this in everything we do.

Throughout the year, we engage in a variety of service projects, support local initiatives, and contribute to global efforts that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, support education, and grow local economies. Our club is a place where professionals from diverse backgrounds come together to share ideas, develop meaningful relationships, and take action to create lasting change.

One of our core values is fostering a sense of community and connection. We welcome new members who share our commitment to service and who are eager to make a difference. Whether you are interested in joining us for a project, attending a meeting, or simply learning more about what we do, we invite you to connect with us.

Together, we can achieve great things and make a real difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in the Parkville Rotary Club. I look forward to working with you to continue our legacy of service and to build a brighter future for all.

Warm regards,

Michelle Sparks
President, Parkville Rotary Club

Rotary International
 
 
Stephanie Urchick       

                         

President 2024-25

Rotary Club of McMurray

Pennsylvania, USA

Stephanie A. Urchick has been an RI director and Rotary Foundation trustee and has served Rotary in numerous capacities, including as training leader, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, and RI president’s representative. In addition, Urchick was a representative and member-at-large at three sessions of the Council on Legislation.

Urchick has also served as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and The Rotary Foundation’s Centennial Celebration Committee, as well as a member of various Rotary committees, including the Election Review Committee and Operational Review Committee.

A Rotary member since 1991, Urchick has participated in a variety of international service projects, including National Immunization Days in India and Nigeria. In Vietnam, she worked with clubs to help build a primary school and traveled to the Dominican Republic to install water filters. A student of several Slavic languages, she has mentored new Rotary members in Ukraine and coordinated a Rotary Foundation grant for mammography equipment and a biopsy unit for a hospital in Poland. In its commemorative book, the Rotary Club of Krakow, Poland, noted Urchick as a key figure for helping the rebirth of Rotary in post-Communist Poland. Urchick has also helped to pair clubs and districts in the U.S. with Rotary clubs in Albania, Kosovo, and Ukraine for humanitarian and educational services.

Urchick’s professional background is in the higher education, consulting, and entertainment industries. She received her doctorate degree in Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has been recognized by The Rotary Foundation and numerous community and international organizations.

Urchick asks members to champion Rotary’s Action Plan so they can improve their clubs and keep Rotary strong, find a balance between continuity and change, and work for peace. She also emphasizes the continuing importance of the effort to eradicate polio. She urges members to join or initiate PolioPlus Societies in their districts and do all they can to help end the disease. Urchick will lead the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, 20-22 February 2025, with the theme Healing in a Divided World.